How to protect your home automation from hackers: 5 practical tips

The home automationthat is, those that have all those technologies aimed at interconnecting home appliances to automate a whole series of operations. There home automation It undoubtedly represents a rather simple way of making your home comfortable thanks to the so-called IoT (Internet of Things or Internet of Things), or that set of technologies that allow the Internet to be extended to the world of physical objects. These technological innovations, however, also represent potential new doors of access by cyber criminals who, through their hacking techniques, perpetrate cyber attacks with which to sneak into the homes of their victims.

Here’s why protect your home automation from hackers it becomes increasingly necessary as technologies related to the world of home automation spread into our homes. In this article we will see 5 practical tips to achieve this, how to secure your smart home by adequately protecting the Wi-Fi network, updating the device firmware, managing passwords wisely, and adopting other practical anti-intrusion measures.

Protect your Wi-Fi network

First of all, it’s critical protect your Wi-Fi network which is, for all intents and purposes, the main access point for smart devices. The router’s network name and default password can easily be found online, especially if they are not never been changed. So start by customizing both the network name or SSID (Service Set IDentifier) and the passwordchoosing a robust one, which includes numbers, letters and symbols. If possible, use the WPA3 security protocolmuch more secure than previous WPA or WPA2. For even greater protection, regularly check the devices connected to the network and remove any connections that sound suspicious to you.

Update the firmware

Another often overlooked aspect concerns thefirmware updatewhich is the software that controls the basic operation of devices. Many devices receive periodic updates to fix any bugs that could cause malfunctions and, more importantly, to improve security by fixing flaws that would otherwise have been exploited for potential zero-day attacks. Although many devices support automatic updates, we recommend that you regularly check whether these are installed and, if so, download them manually. In particular, your Wi-Fi router should always be kept up to date: configure it for automatic updates or, alternatively, create a reminder that periodically reminds you to check the available firmware version. If you use an obsolete router, consider replacing it with a newer model, compatible with current security standards.

Manage passwords appropriately

Let’s move on to password management. For every smart device, you almost always need to create an account and link it to an app. Using the same password for multiple accounts may be convenient, but it is also extremely risky: if just one account was compromised, cybercriminals would have access to your other devices as well. For this reason, it is recommended use unique passwords for each account. A good method is to generate them with a password manager, so you can keep them safe and access them easily if needed. Many smart services also offer thetwo-factor authentication or 2FA: this technology requires not only the password but also an additional confirmation code (sent via SMS or email or generated with special apps), significantly reducing the risks of unauthorized access.

Manage your local network intelligently

Also local network management must be done intelligently to mitigate risks deriving from possible attacks. This means, for example, divide the network assigning IoT devices a separate band. As she suggested FBI in 2019 «your refrigerator and your laptop should not be on the same network». This is because if a cybercriminal unfortunately manages to hack one of your connected devices, they will hardly have access to sensitive data on your personal devices, such as computers and smartphones. This measure, among other things, also allows you to maintain greater stability of the home Internet connection, preventing IoT devices from overloading the main network.

Use geofencing

The geofencing (a technology that allows the creation of virtual borders around physical geographic areas) represents an effective system for protecting home devices automatically. It is not the panacea for all ills, let’s be clear, but it can make an excellent contribution to the security of your home automation infrastructure, as it allows smart devices to activate or deactivate based on your geographical position. For example, you could configure the door lock to only open when you are nearby, thus reducing the possibility of someone gaining access to your home by exploiting a potential flaw in your security system. Similarly, you can set devices to turn off when you leave the house: an inactive device is generally more difficult to attack, minimizing the possibility of unauthorized intrusion.